Police in Arizona arrested a homeless couple accused of taking books from a public library and selling them to bookstores instead of returning them.
Police arrested Ian Bartlett, 36, and Athena Bartlett, 33, Monday at the Mesa Public Library following an investigation that began in May.
That’s when a local bookstore reported the married couple trying to sell it 19 books from the Mesa library, according to court records cited by the Arizona Republic.
“During that interaction, they let the couple know that they weren’t going to be able to complete the transaction, so the couple left the bookstore, leaving the books behind,” Mesa Police Department Detective Laura Cervantes told Phoenix’s KSAZ-TV.
Those 19 books were linked to Mr. Bartlett, who had two accounts at the library. Ms. Bartlett also had an account, according to court documents cited by KPHO-TV, another Phoenix station.
The bookstore that initially reported the attempted sale also gave police receipts that showed Ms. Bartlett sold 423 books between May 7 and May 14, reported KPHO.
The two Bartletts are accused of taking books worth $6,287.42 in total, according to court records cited by Phoenix’s KNXV-TV.
Police were finally able to confirm the identities of the suspects after they showed up at the library on Friday. Library staff then contacted police when the two showed up again on Monday, according to KPHO.
“Those employees did a really good job paying attention and looking back at their records and were able to piece all the pieces together for police,” Detective Cervantes told KSAZ.
Following their arrest, Mr. and Ms. Bartlett told police that they went to various libraries to take out books before Athena sold them for money because the two of them are homeless, according to court records cited by the Arizona Republic.
Both suspects face felony charges of trafficking in stolen property and theft and are due back in court later in the month, according to KSAZ.
